Greensboro, North Carolina, has been the seat of Guilford County since 1808, when the community was planned around the building of a new courthouse. Originally called Greensborough, the city was named for Revolutionary War General Nathaniel Greene. Because of its status as a major railroad hub, Greensboro has been nicknamed the "Gateway City." Settled by Quakers, Greensboro has a long tradition of political, religious, and economic freedom. The city was a stop on the Underground Railroad during the 19th century. Even when North Carolina reluctantly seceded from the Union in 1861 (to avoid having to fight against South Carolina in the Civil War), the folks in Greensboro remained adamantly opposed to the Confederacy's pro-slavery stance.

Greensboro boasts an active and diverse arts community, with venues ranging from the Eastern Music Festival and the Weatherspoon Art Museum to the cutting edge performances of Triad Stage and The Flying Anvil. Acclaimed poet Randall Jarrell and renowned ecologist Thomas Berry hail from Greensboro, as does beloved author William Sydney Porter (better known as O. Henry). The US 29 Expressway through Greensboro was named "O'Henry Boulevard" to commemorate the short-story writer, and a statue stands downtown in his honor.